&#61623; Flex 3-rings every 30 days to prevent them from taking on a "set" and hanging up during a cutaway.

&#61623; Inspect Rapide links and bumpers or PD Slinks every 30 days. Always use slider bumpers with Rapide links to prevent damage to the slider grommets, "Lock-Tite" to keep the link from loosening, and nail polish to torque-stripe Rapide links.

&#61623; Use metal, capped, and tacked riser inserts for the excess cutaway cables, regardless of main size or type. They prevent difficult or impossible cutaway resulting from the channel "gripping" the cables or from line twists that include the excess cutaway cables.

&#61623; Replace the main closing loop early and often. Adjust main closing loop so that the closing pin is snug. Use a stainless steel washer thick enough that it won't bend when closing the container.

&#61623; Have Velcro replaced every 100-200 uses.

&#61623; Use a kill line pilot chute, regardless of the size/type of main canopy you have. Check the length of your main pilot chute kill line every 30 days. The kill line should have a little slack in it when the pilot chute is "cocked" and the bridle is under tension. If it doesn't, have it fixed.

&#61623; Replace a damaged or old kill line pilot chute with a new one.

&#61623; "Cock" a kill line PC after laying the cocooned canopy on the ground and just before putting the canopy in the deployment bag.

&#61623; Take the twists out of steering lines every jump or, at a minimum, after the last jump of the day.

&#61623; When setting the brakes, set them so that the steering line is to the inside (between the risers) and the excess is to the outside. This will put the excess to the bottom of the riser channels, helping to protect the excess steering line.

&#61623; Replace mini-risers every 500 jumps or less. Inspect them every 30 days for wear.

&#61623; While packing, check your line trim every 30 days or less. When new, all the "A" lines are the same length (on 'most' canopies, check with the manufacturer). Spectra shrinks from the heat from friction with the slider grommets, pulling the canopy out of trim. Pay special attention to steering/control lines. Replace line sets that are significantly worn or out of trim.

&#61623; Use the proper size rubber bands, 'Sky Bands', or 'Tube Stows' and do not double wrap them.

&#61623; Have your rig washed every 500 jumps or so, more if jumping in a sandy or salt-water environment.

What to do After Landing Your Reserve:

First, place the toggles back on the Velcro. This will prevent the hook half of the Velcro from damaging the lines. Second, daisy chain the lines. Use the slider to keep the daisy chain from unraveling. This will keep the lines neat and untangled. If you have an RSL, remove it from your main canopy and re-mate the Velcro to keep the hook Velcro from damaging your gear.

Be very careful with the canopy. Get it out of the sunlight and into a large plastic garbage bag and then into your gear bag. Be careful when zipping the gear bag shut to not get any fabric caught in the zipper. As long as it is clean, put the reserve pilot chute and free-bag in the center of your rolled up reserve. This will protect the spring inside the reserve pilot chute from damage.

Do not take the main canopy off of the risers to untangle it. It got tangled on the risers, it will come untangled on the risers. Taking the canopy off the risers, or worse, the lines off the links, will only make the job of re-assembling the main more difficult.

Put the cut away cables and reserve ripcord back into their housings and the handles back in their pockets. This will prevent any dirt on the cables from getting on the reserve or the Velcro from damaging lines, the container, or the reserve. If you lost one, or both handles, order them and have them shipped to your rigger. Also, if the free-bag and reserve pilot chute was lost, order a new one and have it shipped to the rigger. Make sure when ordering handles or free-bag to order the correct size for your harness/container.

In the gear bag, put a card with your name, address, phone number(s), and any special instructions, such as "install/replace soft links", "wash the container", "remove/install RSL", "I need the rig by this weekend", etc.

If you have a Cypres, check your reserve packing data card to see when the scheduled maintenance and 2 year battery replacements are due. If the maintenance is due (4 and 8 years +/- 3 months (+/- 6 months for Cypres "2") from DOM), make arrangements with your rigger to ship the unit or have your rigger remove it and ship it yourself (your rigger will need the original Cypres box to ship it). If your batteries are due (two years since installation for the Cypres1), check with your rigger to see if they have new batteries or if they will need to be ordered. The batteries will have to be replaced if there is less than four months remaining in the two-year cycle, for a Cypres "1". Cypres2 batteries are replaced at the 4 and 8 year maintenance by the factory.

Um, wow. I had been debating whether or not to post it. I figured I would get a lot of grief and people telling me how wrong I was. Thanks. This is what I am going to start putting on the back of my new rigging forms. The other side is attached.

Hook

Edit: Oh ya, you can use Rapide links if you really want to. Just use bumpers, lock tite and nail polish and inspect them every 30 days

Thanks, man - what an awesome post!! You've done the sport a great service.

What a coincidence ... I just discovered the joy of Ace silicone 2 days ago. We've used many brands in the past, and bought Ace last minute to prepare for our July 4 onslaught. This is the nicest, cleanest, driest silicone I have ever used on cutaway cables!

Thanks also for advancing a positive conception of reserve slinks.

All in all a great post. Many skydivers will be safer because of this.

I do most of the things on your list and agree with most of them.(my riggers has the same beliefs) Why only 500 on mini risers, even with taking care of your gear. What do you think the wear life of slinks is. Thanks for the post.

I think the life of mini-risers can vary drastically depending on environment, care, suspended weight, and the opening characteristics of the canopy. I have found that the area just above the '0' grommet to show wear, as the webbing stretches around the hole for the grommet. Also, toggle keepers and Velcro (for non-Velcro-less risers) wear out. Mirage Systems recommends replacing mini risers between 200 and 400 jumps. I have found that 500 is a good number and they may not last that long or might last longer, but 500 jumps on a set of mini-risers should get you seriously thinking about replacing them. A riser breaking with an RSL can ruin your whole day.

Quote:

What do you think the wear life of slinks is.

I think that Slinks are an use and inspect item. As long as they pass a simple inspection, keep using them. If they are ever suspect, replace them. Any sort of fraying or un-stitching should be enough to replace them. I don't think 1000 jumps would be an unreasonable life span, or more if they are still in good condition.

The numbers I have put out there are far from concrete and should serve more as a very rough benchmark of average life span, a little on the conservative side. Below that and you are probably in good shape, above that and you are probably on borrowed time. The downside to replacing a component early is the increased cost of maintaining your gear, the upside is, you have a new or several new components that you won't have to replace for a long time and you know are in good shape. Also, replacing components may save you serious problems in the air or unexpected down time. If you have a reserve ride day one of a big boogie, and your rigger tells you that one of your risers is bad and you need a new set, which will take 3-5 days to get in, you will have wished you had replaced your risers before.

"Cock" a kill line PC after laying the cocooned canopy on the ground and just before putting the canopy in the deployment bag.

The first thing I do when I start to pack is to cock the PC. Then I uncollapse the slider, check for twists on the steering lines and fasten the toogles.

After laying the canopy on the ground, I check that the PC is cocked again, and I check that the kill line is green (or whatever color it should be) when I put the folded canopy in the bag. Finally I check the color again when closing the container.

That's 4 checks during the pack job. I'm pretty anal about it, because not cocking it will result in a pc in tow.

The key is that cocking the PC before laying the canopy on the ground, it is possible for the weight of the D-bag to cause it to start to slide down the kill-line, collapsing the PC. Cocking it after putting it in the bag can cause the kill line to wrap tight around part of the canopy, preventing it from fully inflating and possibly damaging the canopy.

The key is that cocking the PC before laying the canopy on the ground, it is possible for the weight of the D-bag to cause it to start to slide down the kill-line, collapsing the PC. Cocking it after putting it in the bag can cause the kill line to wrap tight around part of the canopy, preventing it from fully inflating and possibly damaging the canopy.

Hook

I've had 2 pilot chutes from a well known manufacturer whose kill-lines were marginal in length from the get-go. I had each adjusted by a master rigger who, after the second one, told me that he's seen the same thing with almost every PC from that company...